Compressible sectional mattress



A. HAY ET AL COMPRESSIBLE SECTIONAL MATTRESS July 10, 1951 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 28, 1948 nventors J u gzeocl ttorneys July10, 1951 A. HAY ET AL COMPRESSIBLE SECTIONAL MATTRESS 2 Sheets$heet 2Filed Sept. 28, 1948 ,Mjead 15% P% I Attorneys Patented July 10, 1951COMPRESSIBLE SECTIONAL MATTRESS Alexarena Hay, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia,and Starr R. McLeod, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada Application September28, 1948, Serial No. 51,502 In Canada September 29, 1947 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to mattresses, and, more specifically, tosuch mattresses as are designed for use by invalids, and the like.

A major problem pertaining to the health and comfort of bedriddenindividuals resides in the means by which adequate sanitary facilitiesare provided. It is often dangerous and painful to a patient to insert abedpan thereunder, for immobilized limbs may be damaged by being thushumped up above the mattress.

Some mattresses have been designed to obviate this difiiculty by havinga small section removable therefrom. This section being removed, abedpan might be inserted and the patient moved over into position.Whilst such a method may be more comfortable for the patient,nonetheless it may be dangerous to move the latter, and in this case amore satisfactory solution to the problem must be sought.

Such a solution is contemplated b the present invention whose mainobject is to provide a mattress of :a design which permits sanitaryfacilities to be inserted under a bedridden patient without moving thelatter or causing undue discomfort thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mattress havingcompressible sections; which sections may, or may not, be removable.

And another object of the invention is to provide means for compressingcertain well defined, predetermined areas or sections of a mattress.

Yet another object resides in the provision of a mattress of thecharacter described which will prevent undue suiiering, strain andexertion on the part of the patient and lighten the burdensome duties ofnurses and attendants.

Still another object resides in the provision of a mattress and means ofthe character described which are simple in construction and easy tooperate.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent or be further pointedout in the description to follow.

. As an example, and for purposes of illustration only, preferredembodiments of the invention are shown in the annexed drawings wherein:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a mattress constructed according tothe invention having a transverse compressible section in normalposition;

Figure 2 shows a part perspective view similar to Figure 1 only incompressed position;

Figure 3 shows a section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 shows a section along the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 shows a detail side elevation of the operating handle for thecompressing means;

Figure 6 shows a perspective view in normal position of ,a mattressconstructed according to a further principle of the invention, whereinthe transverse section is divided into two compressible removablehalf-sections Figure '7 shows a similar perspective view only with thehalf sections in compressed and partly withdrawn portion;

Figure 8 shows a section along the line 8-8 of Figure '7;

Figure 9 shows a detail section along the lines 95 of Figure 7.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein the same reference charactersdenote corresponding parts throughout, one type of mattress constructedaccording to the invention is shown in Figure l to 5.

The mattress, indicated generally by [0, may be in the shape of aparallelepiped having a transverse compressible mid-section II and twoincompressible end sections [2 and I3. Separating the mid-section fromthe end sections on each side thereof at both top and bottom of themattress are the pleats E l. These pleats are folded substantially intothe mattress and thus allow the mid-section to be compressed withoutaffecting the rest of the mattress. In outline, then, the mattress Willbe of regular shape and may be reversible end for end and top forbottom.

The interior structure of the mattress may be similar to that of thosecurrently in use, having the usual inside cover and outside ticking l5and I6, padding or the like I! therebetween, and cushioning members suchas 18 Within. These members [8 act to inflate or distend the mattressand are limited by the restraining straps or cords I9 which connect withthe looped stops 20 outside the ticking It at one end thereof, and aredirectly secured to the reinforced ticking at the other end thereof, Inthe incompressible sections of the mattress, the looped stops 2!] may bereplaced by the usual padded buttons, or the like.

The mattress may be presumed to rest upon bedsprings such as thoseindicated by 2|, and these in turn will be supported by some bed framestructure such as the tubular longitudinal side supports 22. The meansby which the midsection of the mattress is compressed may also be heldby supports 22.

Such means preferably consist of the hooks 23 which, passing through thesprings of the bed, are securable to the looped stops 20 at the bottomof the mattress and out of the bottom where they hang through bedsprings2|.

Underneath the bedsprings, the hooks 23 (which will be preferablysecured to at least two transverse rows of stops 2!!) are secured to twotransverse bars 24 each of which are pivoted at one end to one of thesupports 22. The free end of these bars will each have a slot such as25. Pivotally secured to the other support 22 are the two short bars 23.A handle 21 connects the bars 26, this handle projecting at each endsomewhat beyond these bars to engage each slot 25. Thus the handle andshort bars will act as a crank by which the longer transverse bars 24are pivoted up and down. When the latter is pivoted downward, the hooks23 draw down the straps l9 secured to the mattress ticking at the topthereof. This causes the mid-section of the mattress to be compressed atone end as shown in Figures 2 and 4. The mattress may be locked incompressed position if each of the slots 25 has a downwardly projectingnotch such as shown at 28.

As a further aid to an attendant in operating this compressing means,the handle Zl might be supplemented by a crank-actuating foot lever suchas indicated by 29. This would obviate stooping on the part of a nurse.

It will be clear that when the mattress has been so compressed at itsmid-section, it will be a simple matter to insert a bedpan under thepatient without moving or causing discomfort to the latter. patient amuch less arduous task, since it will make it possible to get underneathhis limbs.

Another example of a mattress constructed according to the invention isshown in Figures 6 to 9. In this example, the transverse mid-section hasbeen divided into two separate sections 39 which are in turn whollyseparate from the end mattress sections. As before, the mattress mayhave a regular shape which is reversible end for end and top for bottom.In this example, the object is to provide separable mid-sections, eachof which may be compressed independently prior to removal in order toavoid disturbing the patient.

Examining one of the mid-sections 3d, the inbetween the ticking andoutside buttons or loops 28. In addition, however, each of the sectionsis provided with at least two compressing straps 3i.

Figure 8 illustrates clearly the operation of such a strap 31%. Themiddle of the strap is secured to the middle of the lateral side of themattress section at 32. From here, the strap passes into the padding llbetween l5 and 18 at both the top and bottom of the mattress. Each endof the strap extends through this padding to the cushioning member 18which is closest to the inside of the mattress. From here, each end ofthe strap passes through the cushioning member to be secured to theoutside ticking at the opposite ends thereof.

With such a construction, it will be obvious that when the straps 3! areloose, the members ill will force the mattress section to take itsnormal shape. When the straps of one of the sections 30 are tightened,however, that section will be compressed to the shape shown in Figures'7 and Moreover, it will render washing the q:

4. 8. This will render it ossible to remove section 30 for the purposeof inserting a bedpan under the patient or in order to Wash the latter.

Either of the types of mattresses hereinbefore described might beprovided with means for retaining their sections against relativedisplacement. Thus in the mattress of Figure 1, it may, in someconstructions, be necessary to provide means for retaining the endsections against longitudinal movement away from the mid-section. And inthe second type of mattress, means should be included for preventing thesections 30 from inadvertently separating out from under a patient.

Figures '7 and 9 illustrate such retaining means. As is shown, a pair offlexible stays 33 pass longitudinally through the mattress from end toend. Each of these stays will hold in place one of the sections 30 andthus enable the mattress to be locked together. Within each mattresssection, the stays will be enclosed in flexible tubing 34 which will besecurely held in place by reinforcing at the mattress covers. At the twoends of the mattress, the stays will emerge from the tubing into alocking collar such as shown at 35, or a flat securing plate (not shown)respectively. This collar will enable the ends of the stays to beloosened for separating sections 30 or will allow the stays to be drawntight and knotted.

A similar pair of flexible stays 33 may be used in the mattress ofFigure 1. These will, as in the former case, pass longitudinally throughthe mattress and be secured in end plates. The stays may, or may not,pass through flexible tubing such as 34. In this mattress, the staysmight be kept virtually always in locked position.

It will be understood, that, having regard to the foregoing objectivesand the equivalent methods shown of fulfilling the same, I do not limitmyself to the precise embodiments of my invention herein shown anddescribed for it is obvious that various changes as to size, shape andarrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thu described our invention, we claim:

1. In a mattress having cushioning members therewithin and means forlimiting the outward extension of said members, the combination of atransverse compressible mid-section in said mattress, infolded pleatsconnecting said midsection to the rest of the mattress, straps securedto the top of the mid-section and passing through said cushioninmembers, and means below the mattress for exerting tension on at leastsome of said straps whereby at least a part of said mid-section iscompressed.

2. In a mattress having cushioning members therewithin and means forlimiting the extension of said members, means for compressing at least aportion of said mattress comprising straps secured to the top thereofand passing through said members and means for exerting tension on saidstraps.

3. In combination with a bed a mattress having cushioning members withinsaid mattress and means for limiting the extension of said members, saidmattress comprising a transverse compressible mid-section, infoldedpleats connecting said mid-section to the rest of the mattress, strapssecured to the top of said midsection extending downwardly through themembers therewithin, at least one transverse bar below the mattresspivotally secured at one end to said bed, said straps engageable withsaid bar, and said bar movable to exert tension on at least some of saidstraps whereby at least a part of said mid-section is compressed.

4. In a mattress having an outer ticking, cushioning memberstherewithin, means for limiting the outward extension of said members,and a section thereof removable therefrom, means for compressing saidsection comprising at least one strap the extremities of which aresecured to the mattress cover at opposite ends of one of said members,said strap extremities crossing through the member and extending outsidethe mattress section along the top and bottom ticking thereofrespectively, and whereby tension on said strap causes at least a partof said section to be compressed.

5. In a mattress having cushioning members therewithin and means forlimiting the outward extension of said members, two end sections, amid-section comprised of two separately removable compressible mattressportions, flexible tubin disposed longitudinally through said endsections and each of said mid-portions, at least two stays extendingthrough said tubing each of which passes through one of said portions,said stays adapted to be drawn tightly through the mattress and holdsaid mid-portions in place, means for releasably locking said stays intightened position, straps in said mattress portions passing through themembers thereof and extending outside therefrom, said straps secured ateach end to the top and bottom of said portions whereby tension may beexerted on said strap to compress said mattress portions.

6. In a mattress, the combination of a compressible section, pleatsconnecting said section to the rest of the mattress, means forcompressing at least part of said section and retaining means forholding said section in place in the mattress.

7; In a mattress, a transverse mid-section comprised of twoseparately-removable end portions, means associated with each of saidportions for compressing at least part of same, retaining stayslongitudinally disposed through the mattress and the portions thereof,and means for releasably locking said stays in tightened position forholding said portions in place in the mattress.

8. In a mattress, a transverse compressible mid-section, in foldedpleats connecting said mid-section to the rest of the mattress, meansfor compressing at least part of said mid-section, longitudinal staysthrough said mattress and means for holding said stays in tightenedposition whereby the mattress and section thereof are held together.

ALEXARENA HAY. STARR R. MCLEOD.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Simpson Mar. 2, 1948Number

